People do not "deny" that global warming may be occurring. Warming and cooling cycles over millions of years have been natural events on earth. Scientists are skeptical about the contention that it is man-made and a great catastrophe waits in the future.

Science is not based on a consensus of people or scientists who support contentions or their personal convictions.

There are statements to the effect that there is a consensus of opinion that there is a 70, 80 or 90 percent chance that global warming is caused by human activity.

Science is not left- or right-wing. Science is based on evidence, facts and repeatability of experimental results.

There has never been an 80 percent chance that the sun will rise tomorrow or a 92 percent chance that gravity will be in effect in two weeks. I am not supported by Big Oil, Big Tobacco, Big Autos, Big Food or Big Houses.

For those who believe that a change in the temperature of the earth's atmosphere of a half degree in 100 years is significant, study the effects of a natural event on earth. Use Google on your computer to search for Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines. On other Internet pages you will learn about the history and aftermath of that historic volcanic eruption in the spring of 1991.

Significant amounts of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and water erupted into the atmosphere, and the global effect was observed for years. Change in the ozone layer was immediate. Global temperatures cooled by half a degree. Gary Smart Thousand Oaks